Tuition

"Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself."

John Dewey

Since its founding, Kirby School has offered a high quality educational experience to students from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. This year 34% of our families received nearly $1.6 million in Tuition Assistance funds to support this founding principle. To ensure objectivity, Kirby uses an outside service: Financial Aid for School Tuition (FAST) to evaluate TA applications. Our Tuition Assistance is a needs-based program which means families who qualify are invited to pay a lower tuition amount. Every family pays some amount towards tuition at Kirby. We have developed several Tuition Assistance scenarios to help illustrate a variety of economic circumstances within our community. 

Tuition Assistance for the 2023-24 School Year 

Our priority deadline for applying for Tuition Assistance for next year has closed (February 16, 2023). Since it is past the February deadline, new interested families are still welcome to complete the Tuition Assistance application process to determine eligibility. Should your family qualify for an award amount, you will be placed on a waiting list, should additional Tuition Assistance funds become available. Students must first be accepted to Kirby, before the Tuition Assistance Application will be evaluated. 

Should there not be funds available and if your family is able to cover the full tuition for one school year, you will be prioritized for consideration for Tuition Assistance funds the following year as a returning family. We offer a variety of payment plans to fit the individual needs of families when paying tuition. 

Creative ways that families find for paying tuition include: funding from 529 plans, drawing resources from retirement or stock portfolios, assistance from family members who also value investing in education, applying for outside tuition financing options, and applying for scholarship opportunities for 6th-12th graders. When a family pays a full tuition, a portion of these funds go towards our Tuition Assistance program, which allows a diverse group of students to access an independent school education. 

Tuition Assistance for the 2024-25 School Year 

Our FAST application to apply for Tuition Assistance for the 2024-25 school year will open on December 1, 2023.

start your Tuition Assistance Application

Email our Tuition Assistance team at ta@kirby.org if you'd like to learn more about Tuition Assistance in a confidential conversation.  We welcome the opportunity to talk together.